Page 26 of The Renegade Mate

“You want me to involve Sofia and Jase?”

“Yes,” I said simply.

Mai folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t want Sofia and Jase involved. They’ve been through enough.”

I understood her fear, her need to protect her friends. But I also knew that we needed all the help we could get. We couldn’t do this alone. I’d learned that the hard way when I was young. I’d raised my brothers and had to make some tough decisions to make sure they were safe. I couldn’t have done it without Jem’s help. He had taught me that we are all bigger than a single person. Alone, we were weak. We had to rely on others and let others rely on us. It was how a Pack was supposed to work, and this renegade Pack was more than just Mai and me.

“We need them. They’re part of this Pack, part of this fight. It’s not like they’re the kind to sit on the sidelines.”

She glared at me, saying nothing.

“And you don’t know them as well as you think if you believe they’ll just let us fight this alone,” I continued. “You know they’ll do their own thing, probably get it wrong, and end up getting hurt.”

I could see the gears turning in her head, wrestling with the idea of putting her friends in danger and how to keep them safe.

“Alright,” she conceded after a long pause, sighing heavily. “I’ll contact Sofia. I don’t like it, but you’re right. She and Jase will just go off and do something stupid, like get themselves killed.”

I reached out, squeezing her hand in reassurance. I didn’t like this any more than she did, and knew Derek was biting back his objections as well, but it was necessary.

“I can check on Sofia,” Derek said, his tone casual. “I can sneak in. Make sure she’s okay.”

I knew what Sofia meant to him. But it was a risk too great. One that I, his brother and Alpha, could not afford to take.

“No,” I stated firmly. “It’s too dangerous. We can’t afford to lose you or give them any idea of our plans.”

His face twisted with frustration. He looked as if he wanted to argue more. With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, nodding reluctantly.

“Alright, Ryan,” he muttered. “But if anything happens to Sofia …”

“I know, Derek,” I assured him, clapping a firm hand on his shoulder. We all had someone we would go to hell and back for. For Derek, it was Sofia. And for me, it was the fiery woman next to me.

A loud crash echoed through the air, drawing my attention. I turned to see some of the Bridgetown Pack clanging their weights back on the racks with aggressive grunts and determined looks on their faces as they glared across at us.

Okay, then.

One of them, a hulking brute of a werewolf with a closely shaved head, locked eyes with me across the lawn. His piercing gaze was full of defiance. I felt a growl rumble in my chest, my wolf bristling at the challenge.

Just then, Tucker ran up to the werewolf, jumped up, and grabbed onto his arm. “Can I do weights now, Ethan? Can I?” Tucker yelled, swinging from the man’s biceps like it was a tree branch.

The man reluctantly tore his gaze away from mine. He looked down at Tucker, then grinned.

“Sure, kid. Come on.”

I couldn’t help it; I laughed. Tucker had everyone wrapped around his little finger.

Chapter fifteen

Mai

Istood at the edge of the training field, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. I’d seen the guy, Ethan, and Ivan glare at Ryan on and off for half an hour now. My wolf was not happy. It didn’t feel safe here. She wanted to bound over there and rip Ethan’s head off for daring to look at our mate that way. She was always the more bloodthirsty of us. I knew she was overreacting, but there was too much mistrust between us and the Pack here.

The Bridgetown wolves were practicing their one-on-one fighting in human form, moving in calculated patterns, like pieces on a chessboard. Ivan and Danni were calling the shots. They were good, I’d give them that. But the atmosphere was thick with something I couldn’t put my finger on—like walking into a room where your name’s just been spoken in a hushed tone.

The scent of sweat and dirt filled the air. The sound of feet pounding against the earth reverberated through my bones.

Ivan’s gaze flicked to me, a quick scan up and down. Assessing. Danni caught his glance and turned her eyes my way, too.

“Care to join us, Mai?” Danni grinned, a mix of challenge and curiosity.

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